Nordenvarg
Nordenvarg (Demo 2009)

THE REVIEW

 Nordenvarg is a folk metal band formed in Pordenone, and they have now released their first self-produced demo, which is named after the band itself.                                                                  

Let's talk about the album; it opens with the song "Lindisfarne", which begins with keyboards and sounds that seem to come from the enchanted forests of Norse legends, then unfolds into a biting riff. The singer Azaghal's voice ignites furiously, invoking the Norse gods. Asgaror's solo is acrobatic and just as it fades away, the singer's scream starts again to close the song. It continues with "Nordenvarg" and "Heimdall's Call". The first has a bagpipe intro that leads into the vocals, with the guitars sounding lighter, while drums and bagpipes assert themselves, giving the song very folkloric tones; the second opens with a guitar and bass arpeggio which, at the end, gives way to a truly monumental riff. The voice starts with extreme anger and reaches a powerful refrain and a lightning-fast solo. "Honour to the Norseman" is opened by guitar arpeggios and rain (the atmosphere is rendered truly epic also by the violin background), and the guitars soon arrive along with Azaghal's piercing screams, with his voice becoming more guttural on this track, which can be described as: EPIC. The last song opens with flutes and Azaghal's voice, which soon give way to a powerful riff accompanied by a flute and two different voices responding to each other as the rhythm intensifies, in my opinion, the best song alongside "Heimdall's Call".                                                                    

A truly promising band and truly exceptional live, consisting of: Azaghal (vocals), Asgaror (lead guitar and back vocals, Salvatore), Gyrd (rhythm guitar, Enrico), Kodran (Keyboards, Matteo), Heilgard (Bass), Arfast (Percussion, drums).

Absolutely a must-listen.